James Ozanich

James Ozanich
aka Blanchie Jo Bradley

Clubs & Associations

Capital City Squares
Heads to the Center
Midnight Squares
Prime 8s
Shady Rest Dancers
The Bradley Family
Western Star Dancers
Squares Across the Border (Honorary Member)

Biography

James began square dancing in 1969 or 1970 as a pre-teen with the Rancho Rascals in his hometown of San Pablo, CA. Has danced with several (non-LGBT) square dance exhibition groups and toured Romania & Czechoslovakia in 1980 (before the Berlin wall fell). He found gay square dancing in San Francisco 1983.
James remembers the start date of the 5th Western Star Dancers class was Tuesday, January 10, 1984. It was my 23rd birthday! And I only convinced Tom Tripp to attend because it was what I wanted to do to celebrate. (I guess it paid off.)

Quick Facts

club member and club officer of Prime 8s, Sacramento, CA (since 1991). Past member of Capital City Squares (1991), Western Star Dancers (1984), and Midnight Squares (1984). Also an honorary member of Squares Across the Border (1987). Also member of Heads to the Center (2014).
co-founder of the Bradley Bell directory
co founder Bay-Area square dance calendar to help coordinate dance schedules among clubs
appears in Ten Years IAGSDC: A Collection of Pages From Our Memory Book
married to Tom Erickson (non-dancer)

Service

serves as coordinator of the Memorial Panels project, founded by Freeman Stamper. The honor was passed on to James from John Mckinstry and Brian Smith in 2012
convention co-chair of Star Thru The Golden Gate 1986
co-creator of the first ever fun badge tour with Tom Tripp, 1986
co-chaired West Coast A&C fly-ins 1991, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2014
compileed the IAGSDC Events Calendar, 1990s-2000s
on committee for Stars, Thars and Cable Cars, 1996
served on the advisory board of All Join Hands (Foundation), 2010-2014